Candlebox

Download

Holding a Candle to Candlebox

"Keep rollin' on, never want to slow down."

It's a very common story: a bunch of guys get together to form a band, earn moderate success, hit a creative or a group setback and then eventually disband. Much less common is the story of Candlebox where the dissociated group gets back together and makes even more music like it used to.

Lighting the Candle

Candlebox didn't even start out as Candlebox. The band formed in 1991 by guitarist Peter Klett and vocalist Kevin Martin in Seattle and was originally called Uncle Duke. Shortly after, when recruiting more musicians, they renamed themselves Candlebox, after a line in a song by Sydney-based rock group, Midnight Oil.

By 1993, the band had already released its self-titled debut album, on Madonna's company, Maverick Records, the same one that signed Deftones and Alanis Morissette. This record went on to climb the Billboard album charts to a #7 finish and then sell more than 4 million copies. Lucy, the band's sophomore album, quickly gained certified gold status after its 1996 release.

Candlebox's sound was heavily influenced by the Grunge sound, but without the punk and indie influences, which made it more accessible to mainstream rock radio. And as Candlebox were never part of the original Grunge scene, they were quickly and lazily labeled as post-grunge.

A Flickering Flame

Candlebox's line up was far from being stable over their short run. Scott Mercado, the original drummer, left in 1997 to be replaced by Dave Krusen, who was part of the original line up of Pearl Jam. Krusen, in turn, left in 1999 and his seat was taken by Shannon Larkin from Ugly Kid Joe. Bardi Martin also left in 1999, to be replaced Dig's Rob Redick.

Happy Pills, the band's third album, was released in 1998, sold poorly compared to its predecessors, despite being appreciated by the band's dwindling fanbase. The band began touring to promote it, only to have Klett leave right after the live performances wrapped up. This was the official end of Candlebox.

In 2006, Martin, who was then the lead singer for the Hiwatts, approached Klett with the proposal for a project. That summer, the two got back together and began to perform, with the fans cheering on message boards. The next year, the duo wrote new songs together again, prompting a reunion of the band's old members, and celebrating a new Best Of compilation.

By 2008, Klett's and Martin's re-collaboration resulted in the release of Into the Sun in July of that year under ILG Records and Silent Majority. Scott Mercado and Dave Krusen returned to their respective roles for the recording of Into the Sun.

Did You Know That...

...Candlebox has performed with some of the most well-known rock bands in the industry? They've toured with big names like Metallica and Aerosmith.
...a lot of support went into the production of Into the Sun? Ron Aniello, the album's producer, has also produced Lifehouse and the Barenaked Ladies in the past.

Download Your Music with BearShare

Unlimited music downloads!
iPod and MP3 players support!
Make new friends and connect with old ones.
Share, Discover and Download music and videos.

Next Artist: Depswa